New York Yankees

I’m not sure when exactly it happened, but at some point recently the Baseball Hall of Fame partnered with the Scout of the Year Foundation to create a free and searchable online database of old scouting reports. The data is very incomplete — it doesn’t include every player and it only goes so far — and the database itself can be a bit of a pain, but those are minor nuisances compared to the wealth of information available. Thanks to the database, we can look back at what professional talent evaluators — people who do this for a living — had to say about our favorite players once upon a time. For example, here are some bits and pieces of reports from various teams about a young high school senior from Michigan named Derek Jeter back in 1992: You can click every image in those post for a larger view, and I highly recommend you do just that. Within those report snippets, future first ballot Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is described as having: a good face a hi butt an impact both offensively and defensively makeup 2b a star some hot dog in him Once upon a time, Jeter was a showoff. Wrap your head around that. All of the reports agreed he was a future star though, and in the end that is what was most important. After the jump — lots of images and I don’t want to cripple anyone’s computer — are some opinions on Alex Rodriguez back from 1993, when he was a high school senior: Typical best prospect I’ve ever seen stuff. I love that last line in the last report, “Reminds me of Travis Fryman or Cal Ripken.” I don’t know, I’ve always gotten a Joe Randa or Mike Schmidt vibe whenever I watched Alex. Too close to call. The database only has one scouting report for Mariano Rivera, and it’s dated July 8th, 1995. That’s four dates after Mo’s fifth career big league start, which also happened to be his best. That eight-inning, two-hit, eleven-strikeout masterpiece against the White Sox. Here’s an Orioles scout on Mo the starter: “3/4 starter … Has a real good, live arm & should be a good ML pitcher in the future.” That was a few weeks before Rivera was permanently moved to the bullpen and two years before the learned the cutter. That’s all it took to go from 3/4 starter to future Hall of Famer. A few days before that report on Mo was filed, another Orioles scout submitted this evaluation of a 22-year-old rookie left-hander who had just gotten his first taste of the big leagues, someone named Andy Pettitte: Three grade 55+ pitches with 60 control at age 22? It’s no wonder why Baseball America ranked Andy as the 49th best prospect in the game before the 1995 season. Actually, looking back at that 1995 top 100 prospects list, it might be the best top 100 of all-time. A-Rod, Chipper Jones, Jeter, Johnny Damon, Billy Wagner, Andruw Jones, Nomar Garciaparra, Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, Derrek Lee, Vlad Guerrero, Chris Carpenter … that’s an awful lot of All-Star/borderline Hall of Fame/no-doubt Hall of Fame talent right there. Wowza. Much to my disappointment, the database has nothing on Jorge Posada. I really would have liked to see a report from his days as a second baseman. Here’s the only info they have on Bernie Williams, circa 1990: Not exactly the biggest or most informative blurb in the world, but it’s better than nothing. The “Bat ?” remark, which I assume means his bat was a question, stuff shows just how hard it is to evaluate hitting ability. For the most part pitching is cut and dry, you can read velocity off a radar gun and see how much breaking balls break. Did he hit the glove? It’s a yes or no answer. On the other hand, no two swings are alike. Everyone has a different swing plane, a different hole to exploit, different amounts of plate coverage … it’s not cookbook. Bernie went from “Bat ?” to a batting title and a nine-year st

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L 1-5 vs. Columbus Clippers 2B Reegie Corona 0-3, BB, 2 KCF Melky Mesa 2-5, KLF Zoilo Almonte 2-5, SB - batting .227/.271/.273 over his last 10 games1B Dan Johnson 0-4, BB, 3 K3B Ronnier Mustelier 3-5, SB - 15 for his last 48 (.313)DH Josh Bell 1-4, BB, 2 KRF Thomas Neal 1-3, 2 B, K - batting .323 this seasonC Bobby Wilson 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 KSS Addison Maruszak 1-3, BB Chien-Ming Wang 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - nine groundouts, two flyoutsChase Whitley 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 WPCody Eppley 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, K Cody Eppley, ladies and gentlemen! The RailRiders were losing, but he put the game pretty firmly out of reach. After being swept by Columbus, they have today off to hopefully regroup. Double-A Trenton Thunder: W 3-0 vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels LF Ramon Flores 1-4, 2 K, CS, HBP - 7 for his last 40 (.175)2B Jose Pirela 1-4, 2B, 2 BB, SB, E4 - fielding error, seventh of the seasonRF Tyler Austin 0-4, KC JR Murphy 0-3, BBCF Slade Heathcott 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI - 12 for his last 39 (.308)DH Neil Medchill 0-3, BB1B Casey Stevenson 2-4 - batting .269 this seasonSS Ali Castillo 0-3, BB, K3B Kevin Mahoney 0-4, 3 K Matt Tracy 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, pickoff, HB - eight groundouts, two flyoutsMatt Daley 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 KFrancisco Rondon 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BBTom Kahnle 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K - 11 of 13 pitches for strikes Trenton scored all three of their runs, and the only runs of the game, in the eighth inning. Jose Ramirez pitches for the Thunder today at 6:35 pm against the Flying Squirrels. High-A Tampa Yankees: W 7-0 vs. Bradenton Marauders CF Mason Williams 0-4, BB, SB - 9 for his last 41 (.220)2B Angelo Gumbs 0-2, 2 BB, K, HBPDH Rob Refsnyder 1-3, BB, K, HBP - batting .328 with TampaC Gary Sanchez 0-4, RBI, BBLF Ben Gamel 3-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI - 11 for his last 43 (.256)SS Carmen Angelini 2-4, RBI, SB1B Saxon Butler 0-3, RBI3B Dan Fiorito 0-3, RBI, K - batting .316 this seasonRF Eduardo Sosa 1-4, K Sean Black 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K - six groundouts, four flyoutsJohn Brebbia 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, KDan Mahoney 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K - 12 of 24 pitches for strikes Putting up four runs in the first inning would prove to be more than enough for the Yankees to get past the Marauders, even though they would tack on three more runs before their pitchers' shutout was complete. Scottie Allen starts for Tampa today at 6:30 pm. Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: W 2-0 vs. Savannah Sand Gnats CF Taylor Dugas 1-3, BB, K, SB, CSSS Cito Culver 1-4, 2 K1B Greg Bird 0-4, KC Peter O'Brien 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 K, PB - batting .395/.489/.737 over his last 10 games3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-3, 3B, RBI, BB - seven game hitting streakDH Reymond Nunez 0-4, KRF Yeicok Calderon 1-3, 2 KLF Kelvin De Leon 0-3, K2B Claudio Custodio 0-3, 2 K Rafael DePaula 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, WP - three groundouts, four flyoutsDerek Varnadore 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BBAlex Smith 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K - three groundouts, zero flyouts DePaula might not have racked up the strikeouts like he normally does, but he did his part to help combine for a shutout while Peter O'Brien stayed hot for the offense. The passed ball count is rapidly rising, though. Evan Rutckyj starts for Charleston today at 7:05 pm.

(Syndicated from An A-Blog for A-Rod) It's been just short of 3 weeks since David Phelps re-entered the starting rotation as Ivan Nova's replacement.  He's pitched better in each of the 4 starts he's made in that time period, the best outing coming this past Saturday in the form of a 7-inning, 1-run, 8-K shutdown of the hapless Blue Jays.  That start marked Phelps' 15th of his professional career, by no means enough to definitively predict what he'll do going forward but enough to make some reasonable observations.  Phelps is the latest homegrown pitcher to break into the rotation semi-full time, after Ivan Nova in 2010/2011 and Phil Hughes in 2007/2008, and he's all but earned the right to stay there with the way he's pitched.  Without getting back into the "the Yankees suck at developing starting pitching" argument, let's just see how Phelps' first 15 career starts stack up against Nova's and Phil's. Click "View Full Post" to continue.

When Vidal Nuno made that spot start in Cleveland, everyone from Austin Romine to Joe Girardi seemed impressed by his poise. Nuno seemed unfazed by the situation. He wasn’t overwhelmed to be in a big league clubhouse, on a big league field or facing a big league lineup. Trust be told, the same thing could have been said last night. “One pitch, and it cost us the game,” Nuno said. “But got to forget about it, work hard tomorrow, and get ready for my next outing. … You learn from it. Next time, I’ve got to work hard. Keep working is what I’ve got to do, and tomorrow’s a different day.” Tied game in the 10th inning couldn’t have been the easiest situation for a guy’s third big league appearance, especially when he’s a starter — used to being on a regular schedule — and he hadn’t pitched in more than a week. But after giving up the walk-off homer that provided both his first big league loss and his first big league run, Nuno’s personality was the same as always in the clubhouse. He saw a group of reporters coming toward his locker, he stood up and spoke calmly about what just happened. “It’s not difficult (taking so much time between outings),” he said. “It’s just work. I’ve been working hard, and it’s just being in competition, facing hitters, getting in a rhythm. But it’s just, he just took advantage of a bad pitch. He went up on it, and they got a victory.” Pretty cut and dry. Nothing overwhelming, just the fact of the matter. It remains to be seen how Nuno responds on the field, but in the clubhouse, he acted like he’d been there before and would have a chance to be better next time. “He’s a great pitcher,” Dave Robertson said. “He’s been starting a lot at Triple-A, I think. In a situation like that, he’s going to come in and throw his best stuff. He left one pitch up, it looked like. It hung for just a second, just long enough for him to get a good swing on it and put it in the seats. I’ve had it happen to me too. It stinks whenever you make a mistake like that and lose a ballgame because no one wants to be the guy that loses a ballgame.” — Don’t forget: Chat today at noon. I would have done it on the off day, but I’m flying to Tampa in the late morning/early afternoon, so I figured we’d do one before the Yankees get out of town. Hope you can stop by for a while. Associated Press photo The post Nuno: “Got to forget about it” appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog.

So Phil Hughes wasn’t terrible at all despite giving up two solo homers to our old pal Chris Dickerson. Yanks couldn’t hit last night that’s all, but it wasn’t just them, the Orioles’ pitching was impressive and the home team got a much-needed win when Nat McLouth hit a game-ending home run in the 10th inning. Final Score: Orioles 3, Yanks 2. Two extra-inning games, one for the O’s, one for the Yanks. Fair enough. [Photo Credit: AP]

My first childhood PTSD from an ex-Yankee was the 1963 World Series, which the world recalls for Koufax and Drysdale. Through drugs and surgery, I've blotted their images from my head. Nevertheless, in nightmares, I still see Moose Skowron in a Dodger jersey, hammering nails over my coffin. "Wake up," my wife says. "You were dreaming, you were booing someone." No, I tell her. I wasn't saying boo... Over the last 50 years, it's become a cliche to say that whenever the Yankees trade or dump a guy - be it Reggie Jackson or DeWayne Wise - he'll rise from the grave, lerch after us and eventually eat our intestine. Last night was just another whupping at the hands of an obscure ex-Yankee zombie - the 31-year-old Chris Dickerson.For the last two years, Dickerson excelled for our Triple A team. (Trivia question: Who did we trade to get him? Answer: Sergio Mitre, to Milwaukee.) This included a hellish season touring Ramadas along the Thomas A. Dewey New York State Thruway, where the club spent a few Twilight Zone episodes in Batavia. Dickerson hit .316 last year at "Scranton." That garnered him 14 ABs in a September call up: He hit 2 HRs and stole 3 bases.Last year, with Gardner out and a flow-through tea bag of retreads trying to replace him, the Yankees never gave Dickerson a chance. Over the winter, when the team signed Ichiro to a two-year, a part of me went down to the basement and screamed, "WHAT ABOUT CHRIS DICKERSON? WHAT DOES CHRIS DICKERSON HAVE TO TO TO GET A SHOT? HOW MUCH BETTER WILL ICHIRO BE - FOR $20 MILLION - THAN CHRIS DICKERSON?" (Let me note something here: I make no claims to be a baseball scout or expert. I only speak with the gravitas of being an irrational Yankee fan. OK? I don't want to make it sound as though I claim to always be right, because I certainly was wrong in my assessments of Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells. I am simply a Yankee id, yelling in the basement.)Last winter, we pitched Dickerson into the sea. Twenty-eight days later (Cueing Danny Boyle) the O's signed him. Last night, well - he killed us - two HRs.Like I said, Dickerson is just the latest in a long tradition. But here's the rub: The way we're churning through players, some very good ones could soon become ex-Yanks with scores to settle. We've got a slew of "all-stars" coming back, and our 25-man roster is going to pop like a helium balloon. Come August and September - and maybe October - there will be several new Moose Skowrons out there. Beware.

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible Tuesday starting lineup vs. Orioles and New York City Football Club Yankees' catching situation is not just a one year deal Is CC Sabathia still an ace? Yankees' patience with Rafael DePaula is paying off Phil Hughes fighting for his job in the Yankees' rotation Baby Bomber Recap 5/20/13: Slade Heathcott picks up three hits, extends hit streak to seven games Around the Internet One Quarter Mark - Born to Run the Numbers: The Yankees have more wins than they were projected to have at the one quarter mark because they have pitched better than expected and they win close games (except for last night). First Impressions - It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: David Adams and Austin Romine have made their way into the majors and a scouting report with tell you how they have looked. Stability in the Bullpen - LoHud | Chad Jennings: After watching the Jim Johnson and the Orioles' bullpen implode the other night it makes you appreciate Mariano Rivera and the way the Yankees' bullpen has pitch in the month of May. Timing Problems - It's About the Money | Michael Eder: Phil Hughes was able to spot what he was doing wrong in his disastrous start against the Mariners and maybe so can we. The Lonely Life - Wall Street Journal | Daniel Barbarisi: Travis Hafner has an intricate pre-game ritual that continues throughout the game in between his at-bats. Quick Hits Alberto Gonzalez has cleared waivers and has been outrighted back to Scranton. Willie Randolph will represent the Yankees at the 2013 draft. Alex Rodriguez has man boobs. Kevin Youkilis had three at-bats in extended spring training. Questions of the Day What is the most overrated statistic in baseball? If they made a movie about the 2013 Yankees what would it be called? What team has the worst outdoor stadium? Who is the most vilified Yankee on the active roster? Coming Up Today Baby Bomber Recap 5/21/13: Peter O'Brien stays hot in Charleston's shutout win @ 9 am Camden Yards: Setting a new standard in stadium construction @ 12 pm Sabermetric hitting primer: a conversation @ 3 pm New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 pm (Game Thread at 6:30 pm)

Youngest Players to Hit For Cycle MLB History Yrs-Days Team 1929 Mel Ott 20-75 Giants 1918 Cliff Heathcote 20-140 Cardinals 1933 Arky Vaughan 21-107 Pirates 1972 Cesar Cedeno 21-159 Astros 1888 Mike Tiernan 21-217 Giants 2013 Mike Trout 21-288 Angels >> Source: Elias Sports Bureau Credit ESPN on the chart.

Plain and simple, the New York Yankees would not be boosting a 28-17 record. Vernon Wells in 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Nor would the Bronx Bombers be sitting pretty atop in the AL East. And you can bet they wouldn’t have the third best record in the Majors without one thing? The outstanding play of Vernon Wells. This by no means takes away from the overall chemistry this makeshift group has as a team, but you cannot deny that Wells is a mainstay. Nor does this have anything to do with the recent Yankees loss. And yes, I am referring to yesterday evening’s 10th inning, walk-off, 3-2 beating the Bombers got courtesy of the Orioles down in Charm City. This only has to do with Wells getting snubbed from a well-earned 2013 AL All-Star nomination. The outlandishness of his absence is even crazier when you see Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira‘s names when neither has played an inning this season. And no offense but Curtis Granderson was just activated a week ago and has not shown anything All-Star deserving yet.  (more…) © Kate for Lady Loves Pinstripes, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Derek Jeter, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees, Run batted in, Vernon Wells, Wells, Yankee The post Yankees: Do you think Vernon Wells is an All-Star because I certainly do appeared first on Lady Loves Pinstripes.

Hiroki Kuroda will look to continue his run of consistent excellence as the Yankees and Orioles meet for Wednesday's rubber match in Baltimore.